04 Apr 2025

light mode

Breaking News

Stay ahead of the curve with The Coinomist’s breaking news coverage. From major market shifts to regulatory updates and industry-defining announcements, we deliver the critical information you need, fast and accurate. Be the first to know about the stories shaping the world of cryptocurrency, business, investing, and Web3.

Bitcoin Miners Pivot to AI Amid Halving Concerns

Bitcoin Miners Pivot to AI Amid Halving Concerns

JPMorgan reports that Bitcoin miners are diversifying their operations in anticipation of the upcoming halving event, which will slash their rewards. Miners are now venturing into the booming artificial intelligence (AI) market, offering high-performance computing services. This shift is partly funded by selling newly minted or existing bitcoins. Companies like Applied Digital and Iris Energy are already making strides in AI cloud services. Additionally, post Ethereum’s shift from proof-of-work, former Ethereum miners are leveraging GPUs for AI, finding it potentially more profitable than traditional mining.

The Coinomist
Coinbase’s blockchain surpasses L2 titans

Coinbase’s blockchain surpasses L2 titans

Base, engineered on OP Stack as a second layer network, has managed to surpass Arbitrum and Optimism in the number of daily transactions this week. Data from The Block highlighted that on August 15, Base’s moving average reached 610,000 transactions, while the counts for Arbitrum and Optimism stood at 576,000 and 597,000, respectively. Although Optimism currently holds a slight lead, overall, the networks are closely competing.

The Coinomist
Mantle DAO and FTX holdings: A critical decision

Mantle DAO and FTX holdings: A critical decision

Currently, Mantle DAO is evaluating a proposal that would prohibit the conversion of BIT tokens held by FTX Group into the new MNT token. Previously, Alameda Research, a branch of the FTX Group, swapped 3.4 million FTT tokens for a staggering 100 million BIT tokens, which equated to around $43 million. Yet FTX’s descent into bankruptcy prompted DAO members to introduce this proposal. MNT is a token that was launched as Mantle’s L2 mainnet went live. The blockchain was established by the Bybit exchange, which initiated the merge of BIT (BitDAO) and MNT tokens. Controversies aside, there’s robust support for this proposal within the Mantle enclave, spotlighting the overarching investor community’s interests.

The Coinomist
Security breach at Exactly protocol

Security breach at Exactly protocol

The Exactly Protocol has suffered a hacking attack. Running on the Optimism blockchain, this lending DeFi platform was targeted by malefactors who stole over 4300 ETH, totaling approximately $7.3 million. Both BlockSec and Beosin security agencies have corroborated the theft. The hackers reportedly found and exploited a weak point in the platform’s smart contracts, although the finer details are still under wraps. UPD: The team at Exactly Protocol would declare a $700,000 reward for any leads on the hacker, should they not receive a response from the malefactor by the end of August 22nd. “You can return the funds, minus a 10% fee to you, without worries about us coming after you,” the Exactly team conveyed in their message.

The Coinomist
Hoskinson defends Cardano against critics

Hoskinson defends Cardano against critics

The founder of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson, stated that the Hydra protocol is not only active on Cardano’s mainstream network, but it’s also rapidly evolving. He highlighted the innovative transaction processing methods, including tiered pricing and the Babel commission system. Hoskinson’s comment was in response to a user, going by the pseudonym 0xONLY.arf, who expressed the opinion that Cardano is merely following in Ethereum’s footsteps, albeit a few years behind.

The Coinomist
SEC allowed to question Terra co-founder in South Korea

SEC allowed to question Terra co-founder in South Korea

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has received permission from a U.S. judge to request assistance from the South Korean government in questioning Daniel Shin, co-founder of Terraform Labs. Officials plan to question Shin in connection with their own lawsuit against Do Kwon and to obtain documents related to Chai Corporation, a secondary company that was also used in the illegal scheme.

The Coinomist
Fed issues enforcement action with Farmington State Bank

Fed issues enforcement action with Farmington State Bank

The Federal Reserve enforced the closure of Farmington State Bank, a lender that has ties with both FTX and Alameda Research. But what led to this? The bank’s silent move towards a digital-centric strategy without keeping the Federal Reserve in the loop. To thicken the plot, Farmington had previously, in March 2022, secured a substantial $11.5 million funding from Alameda Research.

The Coinomist
Shibarium stands resilient!

Shibarium stands resilient!

The immense wave of transactions and heightened user activity took Shibarium by surprise, causing some tech glitches, says Shytoshi Kusama, the co-founder of the Shiba Inu ecosystem. He’s also quick to debunk the rumors about funds getting stuck in the bridging contracts, terming it as pure FUD. “Although we expected a very busy moment, we never expected THIS much traffic, instantly,” reflects Shytoshi Kusama. At its launch, the Shibarium team tackled a load of 160 million computational tasks in a span of about 30 minutes, while anticipating only 400 million within a month.

The Coinomist
Overnight descent: BTC at $25,000

Overnight descent: BTC at $25,000

Statistics from Coinglass indicate liquidations of $1 billion in the last 12 hours, with $483 million in BTC and $300 million in Ethereum. Some market analysts are identifying potential incidents that may have instigated this downfall: The Wall Street Journal has noted that SpaceX liquidated $373 million in Bitcoin across 2021 and 2022, and Tesla has divested more than 30,000 BTC (75% of its stake) for $936 million in Q2 of 2022. The investment holding company China Evergrande Group has filed for bankruptcy. It was rumored that Tether had backed a portion of its USDT using commercial papers from this entity. Sellers sprang into action shortly after. With Bloomberg announcing that the SEC is slated to approve the first-ever Ethereum-based ETF futures by October, Ethereum’s market value promptly surged by 11%.

The Coinomist
Grayscale vs. SEC: ETF Team Expansion Hints at Hope

Grayscale vs. SEC: ETF Team Expansion Hints at Hope

Grayscale Investments is gearing up for a potential positive outcome in its lawsuit with the SEC, as it begins hiring for its ETF team. The firm is on the lookout for a “Senior Associate, ETFs” to bolster its ETF business development. This move comes as the crypto community eagerly awaits a court decision on Grayscale’s proposal to convert its GBTC fund into a spot bitcoin ETF. The outcome could set a precedent for other asset managers seeking approvals for spot bitcoin funds, influencing the future of crypto ETFs.

The Coinomist
Revisiting 2016: Volatility at its lowest!

Revisiting 2016: Volatility at its lowest!

According to Kaiko, BTC and ETH have recorded their lowest 90-day price volatility compared to oil in many years, a mark last reached in 2016. Right now, Bitcoin’s volatility sits at 35%, Ethereum’s at 37%, while oil’s is higher at 41%. Experience tells us that after such periods of quiet , a significant move often follows. Judging by Bitcoin’s recent dynamics, it appears such a shift might be kicking off.

The Coinomist
Sei honors its early users with rewards

Sei honors its early users with rewards

The Sei team has initiated token claims for those who participated in the testnet early on. However, the meager bonuses received have left many reevaluating their decision to engage in future airdrops, especially for Tier-2 or Tier-3 projects. Rewards were disappointingly scant, with most individuals earning only a nominal amount for blockchain testing. The SEI token price decreased by 20%, possibly attributed to either the overnight downturn in the crypto market or the airdrop itself. P.S.:To claim your tokens, the Compass wallet is essential, and some regions might require a VPN.

The Coinomist
Tether terminates support for multiple blockchain networks

Tether terminates support for multiple blockchain networks

The issuer of USDT has resolved to end support for Kusama, Bitcoin Cash SLP, and Omni Layer. This move follows an in-depth analysis of the functionality, safety, and stability of these particular blockchains. Notably, Omni Layer, Tether’s first transport layer since its inception in 2014, was instrumental during its early days. However, it has witnessed a decline in popularity due to rising competitive solutions. Though minting of USDT on the aforesaid platforms will be terminated, the redemption process will stay in place for a duration extending at least a year.

The Coinomist
Horizon Worlds by Meta: User engagement below forecast

Horizon Worlds by Meta: User engagement below forecast

In his exploration of the $36 billion Horizon Worlds metaverse, video blogger Jarvis Johnson found player activity to be surprisingly sparse. He counted roughly 900 daily English-speaking users. Many of these were children who managed to circumventing the platform’s age restrictions. These findings cast serious doubt on Meta’s prior claim of 200,000 engaged users every month, hinting at possible exaggeration.

The Coinomist
QBT improves bitcoin mining efficiency

QBT improves bitcoin mining efficiency

Quantum Blockchain Technologies (QBT), a research company, has unveiled an innovative bitcoin mining method that utilizes artificial intelligence. According to the company’s statement, this new approach to hash verification, as opposed to random selection, boosts the chances of finding a winning hash by approximately 260%.

The Coinomist
Ripple Counters SEC’s Appeal Request

Ripple Counters SEC’s Appeal Request

Ripple contends that there is no justification for the SEC to appeal its partial loss while the case remains unresolved. Ripple’s legal team has presented three primary arguments in response to the SEC’s appeal request: Аn appeal requires a pure question of law and that the SEC’s request raises no new legal issues that need to be reviewed. SEC’s argument that the court ruled incorrectly on the matter is not sufficient. An immediate appeal will not advance the termination litigation proceedings.

The Coinomist
Token Scams Thrive on Coinbase’s Base Blockchain

Token Scams Thrive on Coinbase’s Base Blockchain

Between mid-July and Base’s public introduction in August, more than 500 scam tokens, like BASEPEPE (BPEPE) and Baby Yoda (YODA), were deployed on the blockchain, as reported by Solidus Labs, Around 300 of these tokens enabled their creators to generate an unlimited number of coins, unbeknownst to Base users, significantly impacting the tokens’ values. Moreover, about 60 tokens prevented buyers from reselling them on exchanges. The scam tokens collectively generated approximately $3.7 million in trading volume and yielded around $2 million in profits, according to Solidus.

The Coinomist
PayPal suspends crypto buying services in the UK

PayPal suspends crypto buying services in the UK

PayPal suspends crypto buying services in the UK Starting October 1, 2023, PayPal will no longer support cryptocurrency purchases for it’s users from the United Kingdom. This action is consistent with the company’s obligation to comply with local financial legislation. While the measure is planned to last until the start of 2024, PayPal remains hopeful about restoring the service. During the suspension, users are free to either hold their existing cryptocurrencies without any associated fees or sell them if they choose.

The Coinomist
SEI token breaks into cryptocurrency top 100

SEI token breaks into cryptocurrency top 100

The SEI token, having just been released, now finds itself in the 85th spot in terms of market capitalization, as reported by Coinmarketcap. It’s also making its presence felt in daily trading, occupying the seventh position with a volume of $1,6 billion. While current metrics paint a promising picture for the project, it’s worth noting that the cryptocurrency arena frequently sees such developments. Therefore, it’s wise to approach this news with measured optimism.

The Coinomist
FBI seizes crypto holdings amid federal probes

FBI seizes crypto holdings amid federal probes

In a three-month span beginning in March 2023, the FBI shifted gears in their investigations involving digital currencies. Those efforts have led to the confiscation of an estimated $1.7 million in cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, USDT, XMR, and DAI. Some of these were traced back to Binance-affiliated wallets. Notably, the Eastern District of Virginia saw the most substantial single seizure of 428.5 ETH.

The Coinomist
OpenAI sees ChatGPT as a game-changer for web content moderation

OpenAI sees ChatGPT as a game-changer for web content moderation

Social media giants, like Facebook, rely on a vast global moderation teams to sift out damaging content, from child pornography materials to severe violence. The implementation of GPT-4 might be the key to revolutionizing this workflow. “The process [of content moderation] is inherently slow and can lead to mental stress on human moderators. With this system, the process of developing and customizing content policies is trimmed down from months to hours,” assert OpenAI representatives. Access to the OpenAI API now enables individuals to forge their distinct AI-driven moderation frameworks.

The Coinomist
Bloomberg Intelligence: Fed’s Role in the “greatest rug pull ever

Bloomberg Intelligence: Fed’s Role in the “greatest rug pull ever

The current market landscape marks an unprecedented decline in liquidity, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior macro strategist, Mike McGlone. If this pattern holds throughout 2023, he warns of a potential sharp descent in Bitcoin prices, which would ripple through Ethereum, XRP, and the general cryptocurrency domain. “What should be early indications of recessionary times? The best indication should be bitcoin and that’s where I’m looking for the bleeding occasion from bitcoin and it’s still kind of showing what I expected.” “Picture December: Recession looms, Fed hesitates on easing due to inflation,” said McGlone.

The Coinomist
Musk vs. Zuck fight status

Musk vs. Zuck fight status

Yesterday on Twitter, Elon Musk confessed that his call-out for a fistfight was just a jest that, evidently, went a bit too far. Musk mentioned that after suggesting a face-off with Mark at the Colosseum, Zuckerberg shot down the idea without batting an eye, citing he was “traveling.” “Is there anywhere he will fight?” Musk tweeted. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg voiced his frustrations on Threads, implying Musk isn’t serious about the showdown, citing some impending surgery and being elusive about confirming a final date. “I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously,” Zuckerberg writes. Such spectacles would even make Cirque du Soleil green with envy.

The Coinomist
Coinbase bring futures trading to eligible US customers

Coinbase bring futures trading to eligible US customers

Coinbase has obtained regulatory approval from the National Futures Association (NFA), a CFTC-designated self-regulatory organization. This approval allows Coinbase to function as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and provide eligible US customers with access to crypto futures through its platforms. With this approval, Coinbase becomes the first crypto-native platform to offer a combined solution featuring traditional spot crypto trading and regulated, leveraged crypto futures for their US verified customers.

The Coinomist
AI Working Group: Democrats’ Answer to Tech’s Rapid Evolution

AI Working Group: Democrats’ Answer to Tech’s Rapid Evolution

House Democrats have initiated a working group dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim to craft legislation surrounding this tech. The group, chaired by Representative Derek Kilmer, will explore leveraging AI for growth while ensuring job security for those impacted by AI advancements. A primary concern is the rise of AI-generated misinformation, especially deepfakes.

The Coinomist
The Man Who Forgot $240M: A Bitcoin Tragedy for the Ages

The Man Who Forgot $240M: A Bitcoin Tragedy for the Ages

This is perhaps the most iconic crypto loss story of all time. In 2011, Stefan Thomas received 7,002 BTC for making a video. Today, that stash is worth $240 million. But he forgot the password. An entire fortune locked away forever.

Zora Network Reviewed: A Testnet Guide

Zora Network Reviewed: A Testnet Guide

Are sky-high Ethereum fees getting you down? The folks at Zora have come up with an alternative, introducing their Layer 2 solution with lower transaction fees. This article will walk you through how to get involved with the project and earn some rewards.